By Oluwatope Lawanson
The President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu ,has mourned the demise of former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Justice Bola Ajibola.
Ajibola passed on in Abeokuta on Sunday at the age of 89 years.
In a condolence message signed by his spokesperson, Mr Tunde Rahman, in Lagos, Tinubu commiserated with his immediate family, associates and professional colleagues.
The two-term former governor of Lagos State also extended his condolences to Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and the good people of the state for the loss of a great son of the Gateway state and Nigeria.
While expressing his sympathy, the president-elect also acknowledged Ajibola’s important contributions to Nigeria’s political evolution and nation-building, legal profession and international jurisprudence.
“The former Nigeria’s minister of justice and leader of the Bar was an eminent statesman and legal icon whose contributions to national progress and development will be written in gold.
“During his earthly sojourn, Ajibola didn’t just serve his country with his gift of extraordinary brilliance as a lawyer, he served the world as a Judge of International Court of Justice in Hague and Member of its Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
“As ICJ judge, Ajibola made his mark as one of the brightest legal minds in the world in many decided cases involving state actors across the world.
“Through his excellent performance, he brought honour and dignity to Nigeria,” he said.
The president-elect stated that the deceased devoted himself to the promotion of Islam and expansion of the frontiers of knowledge.
This, he added, that he did through training and development of cutting-edge manpower for national growth with the establishment of Crescent University in Abeokuta, his home-town.
Tinubu noted that Ajibola would be remembered for his patriotism and love for Nigeria and his countrymen and women regardless of their ethnic origin or religious persuasions.
According to him, we had hoped and prayed that Ajibola will still be around with us for a little more time to witness the dawn of a new era of renewed hope for our people in a better, stronger, more secure and more prosperous Nigeria,
He, however, thanked Almighty Allah that he lived to an advanced age and left behind important legacies.
He prayed Almighty Allah admit him to Aljanna Fridaus.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Ajibola, founder of Crescent University, Abeokuta, was the president of the Nigerian Bar Association from 1984 to 1985.
He was Nigeria’s former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
He was the High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2002.
(NAN)
